Tartarus is on it's last legs. You few are the last, and I cannot tempt new blood - and I have tried with comments, links and adverts.

So, I ask the unmentionable. With 10 years under it's belt shall we kill off Tartarus?

I would like your comments below, for I am starting a new job which will demand more of me and I think now, at the 10 year mark it may be an honourable death?

If, on the other hand, you would like it to continue, with my minimum input then I am happy to leave the server turned on....

Unfortunately I feel that you are probably right.

I've really enjoyed playing for years, and I can't thank you enough for having created the game in the first place.

But the number of active players has gotten so few, that my interest in submitting my turns has pretty much completely gone.

I have long enjoyed the game as it reminded me of my roots in board wargaming clear back to Tactics II. Of course Tart was far more complex.

Lately, although I have been making a move each day, there is actually very little to do. The challenge is gone.

If there was ever a time to put an old warhorse to rest, this might be the time, especially with the change in your life coming due to your work. For you this had to be a labor of love with all the headaches it has caused you over the years, a lot like a child.

I appreciate all the hard work and sacrifice you have made for the game and the gamers who played and will respect whatever decision you make.

The main reason I stopped wasn't anything to do with the game at all. Its just a simple function of time, the games ten years old, and lots can happen over that period. At some point, you're forced by life to take a break, and when time returns you end up thinking to yourself, do I really want to continue now that I'm not as invested in it?

That said, I had a lot of fun. Not much fighting mind, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

Tell ya what. Start me up a randomized hex-shaped map. Give everyone who joins say 10000 tech to spend on creating an army of titans (any number/size/tech combination - fighter only and one hall) and give me an objective (1st hall to the centre of the map ends the round, most hall kills during the round wins, points based on the tech of opponents killed for/against, 'named victim' bonus, anything else you can think of).

Short & sweet. If you don't get many players join an iteration, then you use a smaller map to maintain the concentration. Maybe even take a leaf out of Ripspaces book, and start a second round before the first one finishes as peoples armies decrease in size or players get knocked out.

I'll even commit to a round of play.

Thanks.

For me the joy was initially writing a game that lots of people wanted to play - peaking at 300. And it gave me a great hobby to chat with players, take input and generally be involved.

Tart itself was always niche, and really worked when it had more players. I don't know how people got hooked but they did. Success does breed success.

But, nowadays, they appearance of the game is a huge turn off for many, and even if the game play is good (if slow) they have so many alternatives.

I think I will start a death clock ticking - I will mention both RipSpace and Tartarus on various parts of the web for the next 3 months. If that fails to revitalise it then I think rocks will hit for the last time.

I'd really appreciate if you could be friendly to new players,as it was the community that made it such fun in it's hey day.

ie players make the game far more than the rules.

Mappie,

Our posts crossed.

I don't really want to get into recoding Tart for iterations etc. If that was done then I'd start with a new code base and use .net and game studio etc. Which is a huge investment in time/effort - and although I may like to do that I simply do not have the time.

So, Tart will remain as it is.

Thats fine, time is precious to all of us.

Still, I'll look at it another way. If you ever find another game that seizes your interest the same way this one seized mine, well, maybe give me a bell so that I could play it as well.

Thats more or less an open invitation to any older players too since as you say, its the players that make the game.

Id hate to see it go personally, but it is a bit of a drag with nobody playing.

If you do kill it, thanks for the memories.

I will try and get more players - posting on sites and so on. We can hope. Being totally free might help.

I think I agree with Frosty ... the writing seems to be on the wall.
The main thing that has killed off my interest is a lack of other players.....
Would be sad to see it go though. It is still a lot of fun in this day and age of pretty graphics and the like.

Well, I agree as well. But it's worth a last little push.

GameAdmin wrote:

Well, I agree as well. But it's worth a last little push.

I hope it works. I'll try to get as many people interested as I can ...

Hiya Jonni,

Thanks for a great game. I've played Tartarus in many guises (obviously not at the same time!) over the years, and despite stopping I was always drawn back when I had the chance.

Although I don't see myself rejoining in the near future, I'd like to wish you all the best in finding new players, as it would be a shame for Tartarus to not continue in one form or another.

(I personally think that a Tartarus-type game would be great on facebook!)

All the best,
Damien

Thanks!

I have tried to find 'free' ways to promote it and I've failed dismally. So that asteroid is looking more and more likely....

I have had imense fun over the years, and as I mentioned many times, if it's not fun we shouldn't be playing!!

I devoted a large portion of my students time to this game and I always enjoyed it a lot. Even after I left the game, I lurked on this forum a couple of times (hey, we still had the warcry back then).

So if the asteroid is going to hit, i'd like to say: thanks a lot. Thanks for the great time.

Alex